Subsurface drip irrigation goes beneath the soil to deliver water and nutrients straight to the root zone of each plant, boosting yields, elevating sucrose content, extending ratoon life and lowering operational costs.
That’s why, for more than 30 years, sugarcane farmers have been switching to subsurface drip irrigation.
You must find methods such as drip irrigation in order to maximize the use of every drop available.
Tanzania,
Sugarcane
if we had a good harvest, the next one has to be better – this is the challenge!
Sugarcane, Honduras
Why should I choose drip irrigation over furrow irrigation for my sugarcane crop?
Drip irrigation is proven to deliver up to 50% higher yields than furrow irrigation because sugarcane plants can achieve their full genetic potential when given constantly available water and nutrients. Switching from furrow to drip not only produces more, but also reduces water usage by up to 50%. In addition, drip systems work perfectly on any slope and irrigates the crop uniformly. Drip is also the ideal delivery solution for fertilizers. With precision fertigation, you minimize fertilizer application costs and increase the efficiency of every resource you have.
Why should I choose drip irrigation over center pivot irrigation for my sugarcane crop?
Drip irrigation is proven to deliver up to 30% higher yields than center pivot irrigation, using the exact same amount of water. Since pivots spray water on the leaves, much of it is lost to evaporation, whereas with drip, 100% of your water is used to produce more cane. In addition, subsurface drip systems irrigate 100% of your field, while a center pivot leaves 21% of your crop unirrigated. Drip is also the ideal delivery solution for fertilizers. With precision fertigation, you minimize fertilizer application costs and increase the efficiency of every resource you have.
If I have a lot of rainfall, will drip still be a good investment?
Definitely. While having ample rainfall is obviously a huge advantage, rain is never timely enough or consistent enough to allow the crop to reach its full yield potential. This is even more evident with sandy soils that have a lower water holding capacity. On top of that, drip is also a nutrient delivery system that allows you to fertigate and control the nutrient levels in your soil in a precise and economical way. Applying all of your fertilizer in just a few applications can be wasteful, especially under rainy conditions that provoke leaching. Splitting your nutrient application throughout the season guarantees that your sugarcane plants get what they need when they need it. This is what makes drip systems the perfect tool for increasing productivity in previously rain-fed plots.
What if I have uneven topography or an irregularly shaped field?
Drip irrigation fits all plot shapes and sizes, all soil types, and all topographies. You can use pressure compensating drip lines that maintain the same flow rate across different pressure levels so every plant in the field gets exactly the same amount of water and nutrients, regardless of elevation changes or distance from the water source.
Is subsurface drip irrigation a new practice for sugarcane?
For over 30 years, top growers have been adopting drip irrigation in their cane fields. Many of the biggest players in Africa, Brazil and Central America have transitioned hundreds of thousands of hectares to drip. Every year, Netafim installs over 25,000 additional hectares of subsurface drip irrigation in sugarcane fields globally.
Can my sugarcane field be irrigated remotely?
Yes. Precision irrigation is easily combined with remote control and automation to make your irrigation more efficient, giving you immediate access from your cell phone, tablet or computer. Read more about digital farming.
Meet the people pioneering precision irrigation
“We wanted to scale up energy production with limited resources.” Hermes Arantes
Sugarcane, Brazil
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You’re trying to keep a delicate balance between smart risk-management and optimal crop growth. That’s the challenge of field crops agriculture.
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Learn morePlant nutrition isn’t a matter of quantity – it’s a matter of efficiency. Precision fertigation delivers nutrients straight to the roots of each plant, in personalized combinations, with perfect timing. So you use fertilizer more efficiently and get the best return on your inputs. Even in cases where soil moisture is balanced and there is no need for additional irrigation, applying nutrients through your system allows you to give your crop what it needs, when it need it, to grow much higher yields.
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